Smoky Chipotle Hummus

I am in one of those unprepared mode...not mood, but I suppose that would also label it as such! I have not been photographing anything I have made since last week. The only thing that inspired me to actually photograph, is just one shot of the Chipotle Hummus that so inspired me by Alisha's hummus that she made!
@ The Ardent Epicure.

She made this most amazing Cilantro Hummus with Chipotle Oil Drizzle... that I could just not resist! She has such an amazing vegetarian blog, with all the gorgeous exotic fruits, and vegetables and legumes she uses to prepare delicious and healthy dishes, and appetizers.

I did not have fresh cilantro on hand, but I did have dry cilantro, which was not my first choice, but it did the trick, and it was actually a vibrant green color, because I keep my dry herbs in my freezer, and they last a long time, and stay fresh and that makes my foods taste a lot better.

So as you see, this is the beautiful dry chipotle peppers that I used. They were purchased at my local produce market, and, the price is very inexpensive. All you have to do is to put them into boiling water, and simmer them on med. low temperature, until they get soft, so you can put them in the food processor. Use some of the liquid from the water as well to make your sauce the proper consistency.



The recipe I used is something I found online, that I adapted from was on> All Recipes.com
 
Linking my Smoky Chipotle Hummus, to: Full Plate Thursday, 10-20-11
@ Miz Helen's Country Cottage!

The change I made in the Smoky Chipotle Hummus recipe, was that instead of canned chipotle, I used the homemade sauce to combine it with the recipe. I also omitted the canned roasted tomatoes, and the sundried tomatoes, as well.I didn't have fresh cilantro, so I had to use 1 teaspoon dry cilantro. Extra virgin olive oil was drizzle on the top, making a well around the center, to hold the oil, for easier scooping, and dipping. Serve with toasted pita wedges. Quite a change from the ordinary plain hummus!

Here's a helpful hint, how to dry fresh cilantro, a question asked by Laurie @ how my time flys.
As a rule, I freeze my dry herbs, and spices. They have a much longer life in the freezer, and every time I use them, they are always fresh, and potent, and not lose their aroma and strength. Even if you don't want to freeze them, at least refrigerate them, and you will get the same results. The only two seasonings that I don't freeze or refrigerate is the salt and pepper, which is always kept at room temperature!


How to dry fresh Cilantro

Cilantro
Cilantro, which originated in Greece, has been grown as an herb for thousands of years. Today, this annual is used in cuisine in countries in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and the Americas. "Cilantro" is generally used to refer to the leaves of this plant. The seeds of the plant are usually called "coriander."

Growing Cilantro
You can buy cilantro as small plants from your local nursery and transplant them into the ground or into containers. These plants like the weather to be cool and sunny. Therefore, plant them where they can catch their rays during the morning and afternoon hours. Like us, these plants shouldn't be exposed to the sun during the mid-day hours.
If you want to plant your cilantro from seeds, you will need to do some groundwork before the seeds hit the soil. First, you have to crush each seed's husk a little. Then, the seeds should be soaked for one to two days before you plant them.
Plant seeds every six weeks or so during the growing season as cilantro is not a long lived plant.

How to Dry Fresh Cilantro: Leaves
Yes, you can buy dried cilantro at the store. Have you ever tried it? Dried cilantro has lost most of the attributes that makes cilantro "cilantro." While home dried leaves might be an improvement, these dried leaves will still leave much to be desired.
Your best bet is to wash the cilantro and remove most of the stems. Pat them dry with a towel and freeze individually on a cookie sheet. After the leaves are frozen, put them in freezer bags and place them back in your freezer until you need them.

How to Dry Fresh Cilantro: Coriander
When the seeds on the flower heads of your cilantro plant are starting to turn from green to brown, snip off the flower heads. Put the flower heads in brown paper bags and close the bags. Let the plant dry until the seeds fall off the heads easily.

Have a wonderful week...I will have more to offer in my next post!

Chocolate Pancakes...and a Guest Post

So far, since I've been blogging, for about 1 year and a few months, I have not picked up even the concept, about guest posting for someone, until now. This will be my actual second guest post, and I'm all excited about it!

This is not just a guest post, but THE guest post for my special friend, Swathi, who I've had the pleasure to meet through our blogs, since a year ago. We've been staying in touch through e-mail occasionally, since that time, keeping each other posted with our lives.

I am so thrilled, and honored to accept the invitation from my dear friend Swathi, who is the author of
Zesty South Indian Kitchen, and one of the host @ Hearth and Soul, Tuesday Blog Hop. Her blog is so beautiful and exquisite with true South Indian cuisine, and the most amazing yeast breads, that I cannot compete with, so I decided to post something simple, and American, that we can all relate to, is "pancakes."

Not just any old pancakes, but made with your own homemade baking mix. I'm sure you all are familiar with Bisquick baking mix. It has been around for decades. I have used it for years, myself for pancakes, and various other baking goods. Making your own mix is so easy, so practical, that once you have the mix completed...which is such an easy process, you can keep it in your fridge for up to 6 weeks in a plastic container. It's a good way to use up excess butter or margarine, so it will not go bad.
Without further delay, here's my recipe for the Chocolate Pancakes, made with the Homemade Baking Mix, and a simple recipe for easy muffins.

Thank you Swathi, for your gracious invitation to guest post for you. Have a wonderful weekend!
Please stop by Swathi's blog @ Zesty South Indian Kitchen to get the recipe, and say HELLO!

Garden Lentil Balls, and Gremolata

If you are looking for something pretty...this isn't the dish you should be looking at, but if you are looking for something healthy, and good-for you vegetables made into meat balls...actually there's no meat in them just all vegetables mashed up, egg whites, and bread crumbs to bind them.

I almost forgot to mention the incredible gremolata which was mixed into the vegetables that really added the flavor to the lentil balls. Inspired by Joy Bauer's Slim and Scrumptious "Garden Lentil Burgers" recipe, I re-created something entirely different from a few basic ingredients. I will certainly make the Lentil Burgers next time, which has brown rice, soy sauce, and different kinds of veggies, and spices.

Gremolata is an Italian flavoring mixture, that is sprinkled over food. It consists of flat leaf Italian parsley, garlic, grated lemon rind, and spices. In this recipe, I added orange rind. Again, I made my own variation, and instead of saving the gremolata dry, in a jar to save the leftover, I added canola oil to it for better texture, and flavor.
It hold up to one week this way...if it lasts that long!

I used a bunch of flat leaf Italian parsley-make sure you chop the ends, of course...also a bunch of dill, (you can use a different type of herb to add to the parsley if you don't want to use dill...as long as you use the parsley as the main herb. I had tangerines on hand. About a teaspoon of chopped garlic, and seasoned sea salt.

I already pre-chopped the garlic, you can use 2 cloves if you don't have chopped...either way, it goes into the food processor.

It is easier to peel the tangerine, rather than grate it, because of the soft skin. You can of course, use grated orange, or grated lemon, which is usually made with.

Process all the ingredients in a food processor, and spoon them in a jar with a lid, add oil to it if you want to keep it longer than a couple days...with the oil, it will last up to one week.

Just look how beautiful, fresh, and vivid green gremolata you will have, that can be used in so many dishes, saute in vegetable dishes, added to the lentil mix as well, for the lentil balls.

This is the spicy sea salt I use. I added half of the jar in a pepper grinder, and mixed it with additional peppercorns. Such an amazing flavor it has, combined with peppers.












...and now, the recipe for the Garden Balls


2 cups of cooked and mashed lentils,
that already has chopped cooked onions
2 carrots, grated
2 large egg whites beaten
2 Tbsp gremolata,
additional salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups fine bread crumbs
2 Tbsp canola oil


In a large bowl, add the mashed lentils, that has been pre-mashed with a potato masher. Combine the additional ingredients, except the canola oil, and mash them all together. Form the mixture into balls, and roll them in additional bread crumbs. In a large skillet, add the oil, and on medium high heat brown the lentil balls. In a 250 degree oven, keep them warm on a baking sheet. You can serve marinara sauce over them. Do not add them directly into the sauce, or some of the lentil balls will fall apart. You can serve the lentil balls just by themselves as a side dish with other vegetables, or on top of mixed salad. Very healthy, and delicious!
Yields: about 12 lentil balls

BTW-as you can see, I lost my entire blog list when I was adding an additional blog to the list. The blogger did not have a URL feed, and the program let me know. When I tried to re-do it, to remove the message, I wiped out the entire blog list...literally wiped out the program, itself. Had to go back to edit-add a gadget, and it brings up the entire menu that you can choose from. Now, I'm starting one-by-one to add my blog list again. I apologize if I wiped out someone on the list that also features my blog on their list...even the ones that do not, at any rate, I will be adding them back, as I go along, commenting, to copy, and paste them back!
Thanks for your understanding...as the saying goes "everything happens for a reason"...gives me a chance to add new ones!

Chocolate Chip Fudge Brownies...and Breast Cancer Awareness!

I have featured my brownies quite a few times since a little over a year ago that I have been blogging...but trust me, this one is so different...so perfect...so chocolaty goodness...fudgy, and oh, so yummy! Really! I kid you not!

Exactly one year ago..give or take a week earlier, or later, I posted my Breast Cancer Awareness Month post, and  linked it back to my sweet food blogger friend, Joanna, from ChicGorgeous  since she had the most gorgeous pink cupcakes posted.

Linking this with Hearth and Soul Blog Hop #69

Chocolate Chip Fudge Brownies
adapted from: Bon Appetit magazine 1999

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
4 ounces bittersweet Girardelli chocolate chopped
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup bittersweet Girardelli chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 13x9x2 inch metal baking pan. Stir butter and bittersweet chocolate in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk eggs and 1 1/2 cups sugar in large bowl until pale yellow and light, about 3 minutes. Gradually, whisk in warm chocolate mixture. Whisk in vanilla, then flour. Mix in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake brownies until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. Cool brownies completely in pan on rack. Cut into squares. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.) Store in airtight container at room temperature. You can sift powdered sugar over the top!


“When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better."

~ Maya Angelou

Me and Cara, at Peter's house at  Rosh Hashanah celebration...Oct. 2011

At any rate, I did receive the most beautiful pretty little bracelet from my amazing daughter in-law Cara, whose mother also lost the battle...as did my own mother!

 so beautiful, and absolutely affordable to give as gifts for a tribute to family and friends who lost their battle  with breast Cancer. Check out the beautiful  Chan Luu  Breast Cancer Awareness Bracelet!

Bundt Noodle Kugel...and a Winner!

OK...moving on!
This is entire new post I am trying to create...unfortunately I had technical difficulties since yesterday...cannot seem to comment, and now, the worst part of it is, I have written a new post right under the first photo, which is no longer there...the photo and the post got wiped out for some reason. When I put caption into a photo, it gets linked, but to where does it link to? That I don't know. I hear a click, and "poof"...it just disappears. I will just deal with this one photo now, and try to start all over!
For the Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) celebration, we were invited to my son's best friend's house for dinner. They had a "feast"...literally! The hostess, Lisa, made this beautiful and delicious Bundt Noodle Kugel, and to my amazement, I have never made this in a bundt pan, like a dessert! I asked her where she got this new recipe...she simply said..."online"...at Epicurean. So here's the recipe. Honestly, this was the lightest, and perfect Noodle Kugel I have had...ever! Light, perfect, and yummy:DDD

Bundt Noodle Kugel ...recipe, from Epicurean
I'm going to the desserts first: Peter's twin brother Craig who is a Web Designer, designed the website for this gorgeous little cafe in Boca Raton Florida, called Ganache 316. He highly recommends the artistic nuvou dessert the pastry chef creates there...it is not only a work of "art"...but really delicious, and not to mention how elegant!
I'm starting with the dessert, working my way down!

I photographed these artistic desserts, while still in the brown carton box...just could not wait!

For the flavors, all I can tell you is the pretty yellow cake on the upper photo is a lemon cheesecake, which I had a bite of...heavenly delight! So good!...also the chocolate one, with the caramel cream...wow! So hard to describe...you need to share each, one bit per person...ha, ha! Seriously, because it cost $5.00 for one of these beauties, which is well worth it...spectacular, and a "showpiece."

More selections...everybody taking a piece of "dessert heaven."

Their little dog Bailey, already sat himself down, as the Host of the dinner! He just did not want to move from this spot...so cute!

Not often do I get to be invited to a "showcase" of a home like this one, just had to take photos to blog about this gorgeous home which actually was a "model" home before they bought it! It is way, way out west of the turnpike, and the farther you go west, the more affordable homes like these, are...or are they?
In South Florida, its "location...location"...is what counts. As for me, I leave way up east, as you know...right "smack, dab" on the beach, where again, you actually pay for the "location"...regardless of the size of your home...in which case...I live in a "shoe box"...ha, ha... as long as I fit in that shoebox, its all right by me...to me, this is somewhat of a mansion!

Giving a little tour here...this is the living room...just look at the gorgeous leather sofa set!

If I didn't know any better, I think they were waiting for Yanni to play on the beautiful Baby Grand piano!

Peter, the host, actually designed and created this beautiful "breakfast nook"...benches, with leather covering, and same leather covering on the chairs, the base of the table, and designed the granite top, which is the same on the kitchen counters!
He is such a creative "designer."

Such a beautiful kitchen with the "state of the art" appliances, as well. A big pot of matzo ball soup on the stove... so delicious...made by Peter!

Peter, and my son Joe in the background...the swimming pool was also designed by Peter...so cozy, and relaxing!

I gotta tell you, this is my most favorite spot...the tiki hut, with tables and chairs under the hut...eating outside here would be a "sheer delight!"

...but dinner was served, promptly in the dining room. My chair is the empty one, next to my granddaughter, Sophia! She is going to be 10 at the end of this month, and no more "kiddie" table for her:D

My little granddaughter Mattia...on the other hand, did not mind the "kiddie" table. I would much rather have sat at this table, as well. I just love the coziness of tables with booths!

My contribution...The Brisket...have never made such a huge brisket before, 7.5lbs...cooked 1 day before, for 2 hrs. and sliced paper thin the next day, and save all the amazing juices to make the sauce, and heat up again.

This is the brisket, the day after. The secret to making a perfect brisket, is to let it cool down completely in the pan, remove from the pan and the juices, and slice them paper thin at an angle, with a sharp carving knife

...then strain the juice from all the vegetables, and thicken it with flour, put the meat back in, and bake for an additional 2 hrs. It was kept in a warm oven...on the above photo, is the way it was served

Here's another traditional holiday dish, made
by Peter's mom...Sweet and sour cabbage, with meatballs, a tomato sauce based cabbage, with brown sugar, and delicious tasty meatballs, baked in the oven!

So, here's a plateful of the end result...from left to right, Noodle Kugel, Spinach Souffle, Brisket, Roasted Asparagus,
In the top row...Sweet and Sour meatballs, and Turkey Breast!...That is what you call a FEAST, for all Seasons!









...and the winner of the Giveaway is...Swathi from Zesty South Indian Kitchen

Congratulations...I will be contacting you!
By 11:00PM on Wednesday...the maximum number was 30.

True Random Number Generator




Min:

Max:  30

Result:

28

Haitian Cole Slaw...and a Giveaway!

I've been on the cabbage kick all last week. I bought 2 heads of organic cabbage at Whole Foods, and also, I bought Daikon radish, the long white Japanese radish, Scotch Bonnet peppers, and really "kicked up" the spices in my Haitian Cole Slaw...you probably wonder what is a Haitian Cole Slaw?...and what makes it Haitian. I do have an answer for that. I became acquainted with it several years ago, working in the country club with Haitian cooks that make this fabulous slaw. Usually it's served with griot, which is a crispy fried pork dish, and a side of lettuce wedge with French dressing, and the cole slaw...and oh, my! spicy, tangy, and slightly sweet. Absolutely zero fat, healthy, refreshing, and delicious!

Haitian Cole Slaw
my own recipe

2 cups of water
1/2 cup cider vinegar ( I used organic)
1 t. sugar
1 t. salt
1 head of green cabbage
cored, and thinly sliced
2 carrots peeled, and shredded
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 Daikon radish, peeled, and sliced thin
(you can use regular radish, instead, of the Daikon)
1 to 2 Scotch Bonnet chilli, seeded, and sliced thin

Whisk water, vinegar, sugar and salt, in a large bowl. Stir in all the ingredients. Let the cabbage pickle overnight in the refrigerator. Transfer to a clean 1quart jar, or 2 small pint jars.
The slaw will keep several weeks in the fridge. Very healthy, and delicious as a side dish or just by itself to snack on.

....and now, for the Giveaway!


Do you remember my Israeli Couscous recipe?

Well, I went to Whole Foods this weekend and bought a box of Israeli Couscous...8.8 ozs-250g.
to give away, as my gift to you!

A few of you have mentioned that you cannot find this at your location, so I thought it would be a good idea to give it away!

So, this is it! the original Israeli (pearl) Couscous...a Unique Mediterranean Toasted Pasta Specialty!
You don't have to do a thing...just make sure you follow me on my blog, and twitter. (I'm not very active on facebook)...Let me know how you are planning to make this!...Remember, all you have to do is to just comment, and I will ship the couscous in the United States, Canada, and any other country outside from U.S. and Canada!
I will use the random generated number, by Random.com...on Wednesday, Oct. 5th, @ 11:00PM, based on Eastern Standard Time!
I know you will enjoy this specialty easy to cook, Israeli Couscous, as much as I do!
Have a wonderful week!
Hugs, to all!

Plum Dumplings-Szilvás Gombóc...and a Guest Post

I am so thrilled and honored that Roxana of A Little Bit of Everything asked me to guest post for her, while she is vacationing in her homeland, Romania. She has asked some of us who was born outside of the United States to guest post for her, I almost felt as if I'm not going to be able to fulfill this request, because although I was born in Hungary, I did not grow up there. I was 8 years old when we came to the United States. My maternal grandmother, and mother was also born in Romania, what was considered part of Hungary up until after WW1. They were originally from Transylvania...yes, the actual home of Count Dracula, from the 15th century, whose castle still is in existence, as a big tourist attraction. Transylvania/Romania is still in very much existence, and I still have most of my relatives living there, whom I have never met, also, in Hungary as well!

I feel as if I know Roxana in person, because of the background connection.We seem to have had this special bond instantly, since we first met through our blogs.

Thank you Roxana, for your invitation to guest post for you, and I hope I don't disappoint you with my traditional Hungarian dish, that I actually learned how to make when I was a young "mommie"...from my Hungarian aunt, right here in Florida, which was over 30 years ago!

If you would like to get the recipe, please stop over to Roxana, also know as Green Girl! You will find other delicious and amazing desserts, and yummy yeast rolls...which is her "forte."